Sprit’s free to wander?
Belief keeps order.
Mysteries to ponder?
Gravity keeps order.
Earthbound spirit, let go,
Seek out the blue yonder.
Ask or you’ll never know!
(c) Robert Jones 2013, All Rights Reserved
Peace in art
The theme of this month’s Bloggers for Peace post is art that demonstrates peace. Nothing sprang to mind so I decided I would create something. I have chosen an image of the Earth viewed from space to show peace at the macro level, without the Earth we would not exist.
Inspired by lines from the song The Windmills of your Mind, “and the world is like an apple whirling silently in space”, I chose an apple tree to represent peace at the micro level.
Without peace the eco system that the deciduous apple tree relies upon will be unbalanced. In addition to sunlight and warm temperatures the apple tree’s life cycle is dependent upon the four seasons and their varying climates.
During spring the apple tree sprouts new branches, foliage and blossom. Bees and insects are attracted by the flower’s nectar. They pollinate the flowers by transferring pollen to the stigmas of the blooms. Following pollination the apple tree’s production begins. Summer heralds the apple tree in full bloom followed by the development of the fruit. During this process, the tree also produces new growth for the next growing period.
Apples become fully ripe with complete colour in autumn. The fruit becomes too heavy for the branches and drops. Leaves change colour and fall and the tree sheds its old and weak branches and stems. The apple tree slumbers during the winter months.
From seed to the first fruit takes between 6 to 10 years, reflecting 6 to 10 years of peace. The benefits of peace are an annual harvest of apples and the growth of new trees to feed generations to come.
“Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel”. Peace is demonstrated by the living art of nature.
Time Lapse
Even changing the linens is now a chore
Due to ever increasing shadows
And mobility issues galore
Where once I moved with agility and grace
Now body movements are slow and thoughtfully paced
I will not name these age old developments
For to do so would just slow me more
The moral of this tale is clear —
Turn your back on Time
And hope He neglects to be near
Yours…
I stand in the light
For only you… to see,
I write of the stars
And the whispers of
The wind…
For you…
So you can hear…
What my heart speaks,
I paint pictures
Of my passion so
You can feel my passion
So you can feel
Just how much my
Body aches for you,
Even with all my fears
You made me believe with the
Love you showed me…
You are the beholder of the key to my heart,
To my love…
With my loyalty and devotion,
And I know what your heart speaks
Beats…
Maybe we fear love
Just the same…
But I believe…
Mi Corazon is
Yours…
Evolution of my accent
In world terms my closest family are from a tiny area on the planet. Dialects within the United Kingdom are diverse and can vary dramatically within a short distance. My father’s family were from Shropshire and Kent. My mother’s from Birmingham and the Black Country.
My accent is heavily influenced by my relatives from the Black Country and Birmingham. I can still hear my mother saying: “Stop pithering about”, meaning “messing around” or “wasting time” and my grandfather saying “Ar” meaning yes as in “ar I am”. A popular method of transportation in Birmingham is the “buzz”.
One of the many sayings that originate from the home of my ancestors is an actual place. The Wrekin is a hill in East Shropshire. It gave birth to a popular phrase used in Wolverhampton and the West Midlands: “All around the Wrekin” meaning to take an indirect route to a location or to more commonly avoid getting to the point during a conversation.
In secondary school I landed the part of MacFarlane a Scottish Doctor in the play Hobson’s choice. A combination of not being able to master a scottish accent and having such a strong Brummie accent led the director to rename the character Dr Stonehouse, after a pub in Birmingham so that I could play the part in my native tongue.
I didn’t consider my accent a burden until in the last year of secondary school my family moved 25 miles south to Droitwich Spa, in the county of Worcestershire. This was the first time I was teased about the way I spoke. As if it were yesterday I remember the moment in a French lesson when In a broad Brummie accent I read Marie-France et Jean Paul vont en vacances en Espagne. I was rewarded with the waste paper bin bouncing off the back of my head much to the delight of my peers.
At the first opportunity I left home, to go to college in Blackpool. My studies took me further north on work placement to a Lake District hotel. This time my nemesis took the form of a Geordie, (person from Newcastle). They thought it was hilarious to repeat what I was saying with an exaggerated accent. “I’m going to the shall-eyes”. The chalets were two demountable buildings out the back of the hotel serving as staff accommodation.
I find it amusing when people realise I’m from England. I tell them how long I’ve lived in Australia and they say “you haven’t lost your accent”. I have no intention of losing my accent, but it is inevitable for me to pick up a bit of the local twang, “fair dinkum mate”.
The foundation of my accent was laid by my family; softened in response to peer pressure and has evolved by moving county and country.
Pet fish have featured for most of my life, Mozaic is featured above.
Magic boxes
Lidded boxes fascinate me. With a nod to recycling we use them to store stuff, like teddy bears, candles, incense, pens, pencils, baking paraphernalia, essential oils, coasters, watches, rings, necklaces, the list goes on. Sometimes the box has a special memory attached to it, reminding us of where it came from.
We have leather, cardboard, timber, ceramic and metal boxes in oblongs, squares, hexagons and cylinders. We have a few tins that were once home to chocolates, biscuits and toffees. The picture of the one above is the latest addition to the collection, a gift from friends who came for dinner last night.
Most of the time we know where they are and what’s in them; sometimes they go walk-about. When I come across a box that we’ve mislaid I experience a moment of anticipation as I lift the lid; what forgotten treasure will I find?
A pet friendly place to call home
We live in a society of rules and regulations. Most body corporates will allow small well behaved companion animals, why then is it so difficult to find a pet friendly home to rent in Sydney? We have friends who do not declare their pets and go to great lengths to hide any pet related evidence when the real estate agent comes to call.
The last time we moved house we looked at thirty properties, none were advertised as pet friendly. Whenever we asked if pets were allowed we were told that we needed to lodge an application, that applications would be assessed on their merits and that having a pet would go against us. Agents related stories of how pets mistreated property, damaged carpets, paint work and gardens. I believe the care of a property is the responsibility of the tenant. Just as children are a reflection of how their parents allow them to behave, it’s the same for pet owners, they are after all our fur kids.
The pressure increased for us to find a pet friendly home. When submitting a tenancy application we began including a supplementary information sheet containing a photograph of fluffy white Stan, our well behaved, house trained, bundle of joy:
. No, Stan won’t be left at home all day
. Yes, Stan gets on well with other dogs and people
. By the way, Stan goes to doggy day care once a week so that he can socialise with other dogs
Eventually we found a real estate agent who thought we were a good prospect. We agreed to make good any damage caused by Stan and to fumigate for fleas when we move out.
I call on owners of investment properties to say yes to pets!
Tell me how does it feel
About 20 minutes into powering away on the cross trainer, the track “Tell me how does it feel”, by Adiva and Vicky Fee, remixed by Kam Shafaati, gives me the boost I need to fly to the end of my cardio session. I find the track uplifting and inspiring. The words reflect my need to sometimes play the Hermit card, seek silent counsel and reflect.
The lyrics are from New Trance Music.
I needed time, to think it over
I needed space, to be alone
Guess I’ve been running for a reason
But I’ve been losing on my own
I needed time, to find my freedom
I needed truth, within my soul
Guess I’ve been lost, inside the silence
I knew that love, would bring me home
Inside my mind
I need to find
A place inside my heart
I need to feel
There’s something real
That can’t be torn apart
Tell me how does it feel
How does it feel
How does it feel, to feel love ?
Tell me how does it feel
How does it feel
Tell me how does it feel to feel love ?
I took the photograph at sunset last Summer in Mykonos.
You can download Kam’s podcast at: Liquid Sunrise podcast
While looking for the lyrics I came across Best Trance Lyrics
Creative Passion
I wrote the following to describe the energy of creativity that builds within me before erupting. It seems appropriate that I include a photograph of Mount Vesuvius slumbering next to the Bay of Naples, Italy.
I took the picture from the terrace of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Summer 2012.
Like molten rock creativity churns
Deep within me, it spins, spits, spurts and burns.
Eager for release it seeks chink and crack
Sparks fly out too many to catch, to track.
Ideas settle, gain heat, grow strong, ignite.
Air fans the flames to inspire beyond sight,
Time’s consumed, no thought of hunger or thirst
Need only feed the inner seed to burst
Onto the physical plane to receive
Interest measured without need to deceive.
Brief relief from inner forces at work
Deep felt passion again begins to lurk.
(c) Robert Jones 2013, All Rights Reserved
Harvest time in the city
A couple of years ago we lived in a townhouse with a tiled courtyard and raised flower beds. For the first time since eating from my grand parent’s garden we were able to grow a delicious crop of rhubarb and lettuces.
Encouraged by our success when we moved to a house with a small garden, I planted basil seeds in pots and took more care of the potted fruit trees my partner had been giving me over the years.
This Summer we have been enjoying mint, basil, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme, oregano and marjoram. As the Autumn chill has crept into the mornings we have been harvesting. The olives will be ready on 9th May, the lemons and limes are ripening nicely and my partner has made basil pesto. I can’t find the right words to describe the deeply seated inner satisfaction of being able to grow, eat and share some of our food.
All you need is a bit of space, a little time and a sprinkle of patience to reap the benefits. Have a go!
Inspiration:
Back to our garden roots urban-farming-and-limited-spaces
theINFP 